Gordon Brown in trouble as Labour Party rebels plot his downfall

The threat of a challenge to the Prime Minister has been revived after what many Labour MPs have described as the worst week yet under his leadership.

Charles Clarke, a former home secretary, said yesterday he was "ashamed" to be a Labour MP. He has been tipped as a potential "stalking horse" to draw out more serious candidates.

The party was thrown into turmoil after scathing analyses of Mr Brown's handling of the votes on Gurkhas and MPs' allowances, which followed a month of damaging headlines over smear e-mails from former No 10 aide Damian McBride and ministerial expense claims.

Speculation is rife that if Mr Brown does not halt a massive haemorrhage of Labour seats at the European and local elections next month, he could be openly challenged for the leadership.

In a sign of the deepening crisis, party chiefs last night were forced to appeal for unity. On a visit to Scotland, deputy leader Harriet Harman warned critics against wrecking Labour's future.

Her intervention came as dissatisfaction with Mr Brown within the party came to the fore, with several politicians publicly admonishing their leader and warning of a looming electoral defeat.

One Labour source told The Scotsman:

"If you had asked me a week ago, will Gordon still be leader at the time of the next election, I would have said definitely.

"But things have changed after this week, which has been disastrous. You also should not underestimate the damage that the Damian McBride e-mails have inflicted."

The source said that Mr Clarke was believed to be positioning himself for a challenge. "He is launching a charm offensive. Grandees like Charles don't often bother to speak to bog- standard, back-bench MPs, but he is doing a lot more of that."

Even if Mr Clarke does decide to act as a stalking horse, there are doubts over whether that will bring out a more serious challenger, such as Health Secretary Alan Johnson or Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

Mr Clarke yesterday described recent events as "absolutely terrible". He said: "There have been things that have been done recently which have made me feel ashamed to be a Labour Member of Parliament, which was something I never, ever wanted to be in."

There was added embarrassment when the left-wing back-bencher Bob Marshall-Andrews said it was "inevitable" Labour would lose the next election.

And Ken Livingstone, the former London Labour mayor, delivered a further blow to the Prime Minister when he said his party was "doomed".

He said: "I wouldn't bet my own money on Labour winning. All the party are united, (Brown's] doomed."

David Blunkett, another former home secretary, ignited the debate by suggesting Labour had lost its political antennae and needed to show more "old-fashioned nous".

MPs have privately complained that, with the exception of the Prime Minister's handling of the economic crisis, he has failed to inspire the party and give it a sense of direction.

But Ms Harman said:

"Our future as a government, and as a party, depends on Labour's team – the whole team – in the trade unions, the party members, our MSPs, MEPs, councillors, MPs and ministers.

"We must all work together to map out our way forward and ensure that we keep Labour in government and keep the Tories out. And unity is vital."

The comments from Labour MPs and Mr Livingstone were attacked by a government whip, Steve McCabe, who worked as a parliamentary aide to Mr Clarke for three years.

Asked for his reaction to his former boss's claim that he was "ashamed" to be a Labour MP, Mr McCabe said: "The way he is going, he may not be one for much longer.

"If Charles wants to make a positive contribution to the party, he should shut up. I like him personally, but I don't think he has distinguished himself since he left office."

Mr McCabe called on his fellow party members to get a grip and hit out at two of the other main critics.

"I would not ask for election forecasts from Bob Marshall- Andrews, given that he conceded his seat hours before it was declared that he had actually won at the last election. And Ken Livingstone himself has shown us how to lose an election," he said.

Mr Brown faces a difficult challenge ahead of the European elections next month, as Labour continues to trail in the polls. A post-G20 bounce has evaporated with the scandals over ministerial expenses and smear e-mails.

The Prime Minister was also ridiculed last week for a broadcast on YouTube in which he unveiled his now-abandoned plan to scrap the second-home allowances and replace them with a clocking-in fee for MPs.

The broadcast attracted so much derision that the Downing Street website stopped accepting comments on it.

This week was particularly damaging, as the Prime Minister lost a Commons vote on the rights of Gurkhas to reside in the UK. He narrowly side-stepped a second defeat by withdrawing a vote on the contentious second-homes allowance for MPs.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are far ahead in the polls, with Tory sources saying the party is doing even better in marginal seats, according to their own private research.

Long and complex task of uprooting a Labour premier

ON THE face of it, a potential challenger to Gordon Brown faces an uphill task. The rules and regulations surrounding such a move are complex to say the least.

In opposition, a Labour leader must stand for re-election every year. But in government, there is no such requirement. So in order for there to be a leadership election, the incumbent leader must either quit or be challenged.

In order to mount a challenge to an incumbent Labour prime minister, 71 Labour MPs (20 per cent of the party's current membership in the Commons) would have to back a move to oust Mr Brown to force a contest.

For the challenge to progress further, a card vote would be held at the party's annual conference to decide whether a leadership election should be held. Even then, the vote would be conducted in three sections – MPs, individual party members and members of organisations affiliated to Labour.